A new oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight loss pill developed by Eli Lilly has been approved for use in the US.
Lilly announced on April 1 that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) greenlit once-daily drug orforglipron, brand name Foundayo, for “adults with obesity, or overweight with weight-related medical problems”.
Read more: Wegovy pill: First oral GLP-1 weight loss drug launches in US
The drug is the second of Lilly’s approved GLP-1 medicines after weight loss jab tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro in the UK and as Zepbound in the US.
It said Foundayo will be available via its direct-to-consumer platform LillyDirect, with prescriptions “accepted immediately” and shipping beginning on April 6.
“Broad availability through US retail pharmacies and telehealth providers” will follow “shortly after”, it added.
Read more: Mounjaro maker slams ‘knock-off’ GLP-1s over ‘safety risks’
Lilly said it is “committed to making Foundayo accessible and affordable”, with the cost for patients with commercial coverage starting at $25 per month.
Those without insurance will pay $149 per month for the lowest dose, it added, while certain patients with Medicare coverage could access the drug for a little as $50 per month.
The company is also seeking approval for Foundayo as a weight management or type 2 diabetes treatment “in more than 40 countries”, it said.
“Designed for the real world”
Eli Lilly chair and CEO David Ricks said “fewer than one in 10 people who could benefit from a GLP-1 are taking one, held back by access, stigma, perceived complexity or the belief that their condition isn’t serious enough for treatment”.
“We believe Foundayo can help level the playing field for those living with obesity or who are overweight and living with weight-related complications,” he added.
“As a convenient, once-daily oral pill that delivers meaningful weight loss, this is obesity care designed for the real world.”
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It comes after Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill, the first oral GLP-1 drug to be approved for weight loss, hit the US market in January.
And it follows Lilly last month issuing a warning about “potential safety risks” linked to “knock-off” versions of its weight loss medicine tirzepatide.
